Butchering a Tenderloin (file under so much to learn)

So a few days after learning how to butcher a striploin I also learned how to butcher a tenderloin. Both of these are expensive cuts of meat and I was like a little school girl at the mention of the Back Street Boys learning how to butcher them.

To butcher a tenderloin;

1) Carefully remove all excess fat off the tenderloin with your fingers. The fat on a tenderloin is very stringy and loose and is easy enough to remove with your fingers. You can get a good amount of fat off this way.

2) Isolate the head of the tenderloin. The tenderloin has a natural front (head) and tail (back).

3) Carefully cut off the head of the tenderloin. This takes great skill and attention to detail as this is an expensive cut of meat. If you cut too little you are left with a weird cut of meat and if you take too much you are creating waste.

4) Remove the silver skin. (See image below). The silver skin is part of the connective tissue and it does not break down. It makes for an ugly chewiness and should always be removed where possible.



5) Portion the cleaned tenderloin into appropriate sizes.

When butchering a tenderloin it is very important to use fluid movements. A sawing motion on a tenderloin produces jagged “tears” in the meat which are visually unappealing. Not only must you be fluid but you must also make the cut in one slow motion.

An old Chinese proverb says; “Tell me and I'll forget; show me and I may remember; involve me and I'll understand.”

I will be back with more shortly.

Dream big and inspired!

A la prochaine

SDM